Funding for new surveillance cameras and a review into fixed penalties for fly-tipping are part of a tougher stance being taken by the Welsh Government to tackle illegal dumping.
There were 42,171 fly-tipping incidents reported in Wales between April 2023 and March 2024, with 71% involving household waste.
Now, thanks to Welsh Government funding, Fly-tipping Action Wales is providing local authorities with 150 new trail cameras to target hotspots and help clean up communities.
Grants have been also awarded to Denbighshire, Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire councils for enforcement and camera-based projects, with lessons to be shared with others.
Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said:
“There is never any excuse for fly tipping. It blights our streets, countryside and communities, and people the length and breadth of the country are rightly angry about it.
“We are determined to clean up our communities, and these new cameras will help us do just that.
“Our continued funding makes sure local authorities have access to enforcement expertise, surveillance equipment and legal support they need to catch and punish those who break the law.”
Neath Port Talbot Councillor Scott Jones, Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said:
“The grant funding from Welsh Government has enabled us to invest in new surveillance cameras to support our fight against fly‑tipping. The equipment will be added to the various tools that are already proving invaluable, allowing our Waste Enforcement Team and Legal Services to take a far more proactive approach in identifying offenders and securing successful prosecutions.
“Fly‑tipping is an environmental crime that blights our communities. By strengthening our enforcement capabilities, we are sending a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in Neath Port Talbot.”
The Welsh Government is also reviewing fixed penalty notice limits for fly-tipping and household waste duty of care offences to ensure they act as an effective deterrent.
The Deputy First Minister added:
“We have listened to local authorities who want stronger tools to tackle this problem, and we will consider whether current penalty levels are sufficient to deter would-be offenders.
“But we all have a role to play. I urge everyone to check that anyone they pay to remove waste is a registered waste carrier. If your waste ends up fly-tipped, you could face a fine or prosecution and risk a criminal record.”
